This book asks why, from some moment onwards, ‘Europe’ and ‘the rest of the world’ entered into a particular relationship. This relationship was not merely one of domination but one that was ...
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This book asks why, from some moment onwards, ‘Europe’ and ‘the rest of the world’ entered into a particular relationship. This relationship was not merely one of domination but one that was conceived as a kind of superiority; more specifically, as an ‘advance’ in historical time. Toward this end, the book first analyses the emergence of this Atlantic modernity, then proceeds to compare aspects of contemporary Southern modernity, focusing on Brazil, Chile and South Africa. Finally, it explores the dynamics of contemporary modernity worldwide, looking at the relationship between past oppression and injustice and expectations for future freedom and justice. The book firmly links the history of Europe to world history, situating European modernity in its global context.Less

African, American and European Trajectories of Modernity : Past Oppression, Future Justice?

Published in print: 2015-04-01

This book asks why, from some moment onwards, ‘Europe’ and ‘the rest of the world’ entered into a particular relationship. This relationship was not merely one of domination but one that was conceived as a kind of superiority; more specifically, as an ‘advance’ in historical time. Toward this end, the book first analyses the emergence of this Atlantic modernity, then proceeds to compare aspects of contemporary Southern modernity, focusing on Brazil, Chile and South Africa. Finally, it explores the dynamics of contemporary modernity worldwide, looking at the relationship between past oppression and injustice and expectations for future freedom and justice. The book firmly links the history of Europe to world history, situating European modernity in its global context.

Citizenship is widely understood in binary statist terms: inclusion/exclusion, past/present, particularism/universalism, with the emphasis on how globalisation brings such binaries into sharp focus ...
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Citizenship is widely understood in binary statist terms: inclusion/exclusion, past/present, particularism/universalism, with the emphasis on how globalisation brings such binaries into sharp focus and exacerbates them. This book highlights the limitations of this position and of current debate, and explores the possibility that citizenship is being reconfigured in contemporary political life beyond binary state-oriented categories. Aoileann Ní Mhurchú uses critical resources found in poststructural, psychoanalytic and postcolonial thought to think in new ways about citizenship-subjectivity in a globalized world, drawing on a range of thinkers including Julia Kristeva, Homi Bhabha and Michel Foucault. Using the 2004 Irish Citizenship Referendum as a lens and focusing on experiences of intergenerational migrants (the children born to migrants), she highlights the necessity of a more sophisticated understanding of citizenship which takes into account how some people get caught between state-sovereign categories, and provides a robust theoretical discussion about how citizenship increasingly involves overlapping, ambiguous traces of us and them, inclusion and exclusion, particularism and universalism which confound easy categorisation. In doing so it raises questions about how citizenship is understood in time and space. In this way Ambiguous Citizenship in an Age of Global Migration contributes to the growing and dynamic interdisciplinary field of critical citizenship studies (CCS), which explores new forms of political identity and belonging in a globalising world.Less

Ambiguous Citizenship in an Age of Global Migration

Aoileann Ní Mhurchú

Published in print: 2014-08-31

Citizenship is widely understood in binary statist terms: inclusion/exclusion, past/present, particularism/universalism, with the emphasis on how globalisation brings such binaries into sharp focus and exacerbates them. This book highlights the limitations of this position and of current debate, and explores the possibility that citizenship is being reconfigured in contemporary political life beyond binary state-oriented categories. Aoileann Ní Mhurchú uses critical resources found in poststructural, psychoanalytic and postcolonial thought to think in new ways about citizenship-subjectivity in a globalized world, drawing on a range of thinkers including Julia Kristeva, Homi Bhabha and Michel Foucault. Using the 2004 Irish Citizenship Referendum as a lens and focusing on experiences of intergenerational migrants (the children born to migrants), she highlights the necessity of a more sophisticated understanding of citizenship which takes into account how some people get caught between state-sovereign categories, and provides a robust theoretical discussion about how citizenship increasingly involves overlapping, ambiguous traces of us and them, inclusion and exclusion, particularism and universalism which confound easy categorisation. In doing so it raises questions about how citizenship is understood in time and space. In this way Ambiguous Citizenship in an Age of Global Migration contributes to the growing and dynamic interdisciplinary field of critical citizenship studies (CCS), which explores new forms of political identity and belonging in a globalising world.

The Biopolitics of Stalinism is the first book to investigate Soviet socialism from a biopolitical perspective. While canonical theories of biopolitics of Michel Foucault, Giorgio Agamben and Roberto ...
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The Biopolitics of Stalinism is the first book to investigate Soviet socialism from a biopolitical perspective. While canonical theories of biopolitics of Michel Foucault, Giorgio Agamben and Roberto Esposito have focused on liberal and fascist rationalities of biopolitics, the case of Stalinism exemplifies an alternative mode of biopolitics, oriented less towards protecting life than towards transforming it in accordance with a transcendent ideal of communism. The book reconstructs this rationality in the early Stalinist project of the Great Break (1928-1932) and its subsequent modifications during the High Stalinist period. It then addresses the question of biopolitics on the level of the subject, tracing the way how the ‘new Soviet person’ was to be constructed in governmental practices and the role violence and terror played in this construction. On the basis of this reconstruction of the Stalinist rationality of biopolitics, this book also contributes to the theoretical debate on affirmative biopolitics, advancing a new interpretation of the relation between ideas and lives in political practice. Bringing the fields of biopolitics and Soviet studies together, this book will be of interest to a wide readership in political theory, history, sociology and cultural studies.Less

The Biopolitics of Stalinism : Ideology and Life in Soviet Socialism

Sergei Prozorov

Published in print: 2016-03-01

The Biopolitics of Stalinism is the first book to investigate Soviet socialism from a biopolitical perspective. While canonical theories of biopolitics of Michel Foucault, Giorgio Agamben and Roberto Esposito have focused on liberal and fascist rationalities of biopolitics, the case of Stalinism exemplifies an alternative mode of biopolitics, oriented less towards protecting life than towards transforming it in accordance with a transcendent ideal of communism. The book reconstructs this rationality in the early Stalinist project of the Great Break (1928-1932) and its subsequent modifications during the High Stalinist period. It then addresses the question of biopolitics on the level of the subject, tracing the way how the ‘new Soviet person’ was to be constructed in governmental practices and the role violence and terror played in this construction. On the basis of this reconstruction of the Stalinist rationality of biopolitics, this book also contributes to the theoretical debate on affirmative biopolitics, advancing a new interpretation of the relation between ideas and lives in political practice. Bringing the fields of biopolitics and Soviet studies together, this book will be of interest to a wide readership in political theory, history, sociology and cultural studies.

This sympathetic restatement of C. B. Macpherson's ideas provides an overview of Macpherson's theory of possessive individualism and critique of liberal democracy. The book suggests that criticism of ...
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This sympathetic restatement of C. B. Macpherson's ideas provides an overview of Macpherson's theory of possessive individualism and critique of liberal democracy. The book suggests that criticism of Macpherson has been misplaced and asks whether his theories should now be given more prominence by political theorists. This is the first book to deal comprehensively with the issues surrounding Macpherson's work; previous studies have used him as a point of departure rather than the focus of detailed analysis, and none have included an overall assessment of his thought.Less

C. B. Macpherson and the Problem of Liberal Democracy

Jules Townshend

Published in print: 2000-03-15

This sympathetic restatement of C. B. Macpherson's ideas provides an overview of Macpherson's theory of possessive individualism and critique of liberal democracy. The book suggests that criticism of Macpherson has been misplaced and asks whether his theories should now be given more prominence by political theorists. This is the first book to deal comprehensively with the issues surrounding Macpherson's work; previous studies have used him as a point of departure rather than the focus of detailed analysis, and none have included an overall assessment of his thought.

This book seeks to analyse the impact of globalisation, European integration, mass migration, changing patterns of political participation and welfare state provision upon citizenship in Europe. ...
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This book seeks to analyse the impact of globalisation, European integration, mass migration, changing patterns of political participation and welfare state provision upon citizenship in Europe. Uniting theory with empirical examples, the central theme of the book is that how we view such changes is dependent upon how we view citizenship theoretically. The authors analyse the three main theoretical approaches to citizenship: [1] classical positions (liberal, communitarian, and republican), primarily concerned with questions of rights and responsibilities; [2] multiculturalist and feminist theories, concerned with the question of difference; and [3] postnational or cosmopolitan theories which emphasise how citizen rights and behaviours are increasingly located beyond the nation state. Using these theoretical perspectives, the second section of the book assesses four key social, economic and political developments which pose challenges for citizenship in Europe: migration, political participation, the welfare state and European integration. These, it is argued, represent the most significant challenges to and for citizenship in contemporary Europe.Less

Citizenship in Contemporary Europe

Michael ListerEmily Pia

Published in print: 2008-05-12

This book seeks to analyse the impact of globalisation, European integration, mass migration, changing patterns of political participation and welfare state provision upon citizenship in Europe. Uniting theory with empirical examples, the central theme of the book is that how we view such changes is dependent upon how we view citizenship theoretically. The authors analyse the three main theoretical approaches to citizenship: [1] classical positions (liberal, communitarian, and republican), primarily concerned with questions of rights and responsibilities; [2] multiculturalist and feminist theories, concerned with the question of difference; and [3] postnational or cosmopolitan theories which emphasise how citizen rights and behaviours are increasingly located beyond the nation state. Using these theoretical perspectives, the second section of the book assesses four key social, economic and political developments which pose challenges for citizenship in Europe: migration, political participation, the welfare state and European integration. These, it is argued, represent the most significant challenges to and for citizenship in contemporary Europe.

This book is a reflection upon a contemporary world in which people's identities are increasingly invoked in support of political claims which often lead to acrimony and violence. It asks what ...
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This book is a reflection upon a contemporary world in which people's identities are increasingly invoked in support of political claims which often lead to acrimony and violence. It asks what cultural identity is and questions its political significance. Tracing the idea back to Herder and the now discredited notion of national character, the book argues that collective cultural identity is not a deep feature of individual psychology, as it is taken to be by Isaiah Berlin, Charles Taylor and others; nor, indeed, is it a uniform phenomenon. Instead, the book claims, various distinct types of cultural identity emerge in response to the different circumstances that people face and draw them together. Such identities are marked by merely surface features of appearance and behaviour, as in the female dress codes of Islam; and these have a principally aesthetic appeal to bearers of the culture, an appeal which is illustrated by reference to the literature and music of Ireland. In consequence, it is argued, cultural identities cannot provide the ethical support for political claims attributed to them, and their invocation is in many ways politically pernicious.Less

Cultural Identity and Political Ethics

Paul Gilbert

Published in print: 2010-09-10

This book is a reflection upon a contemporary world in which people's identities are increasingly invoked in support of political claims which often lead to acrimony and violence. It asks what cultural identity is and questions its political significance. Tracing the idea back to Herder and the now discredited notion of national character, the book argues that collective cultural identity is not a deep feature of individual psychology, as it is taken to be by Isaiah Berlin, Charles Taylor and others; nor, indeed, is it a uniform phenomenon. Instead, the book claims, various distinct types of cultural identity emerge in response to the different circumstances that people face and draw them together. Such identities are marked by merely surface features of appearance and behaviour, as in the female dress codes of Islam; and these have a principally aesthetic appeal to bearers of the culture, an appeal which is illustrated by reference to the literature and music of Ireland. In consequence, it is argued, cultural identities cannot provide the ethical support for political claims attributed to them, and their invocation is in many ways politically pernicious.

What role should the idea of evil have in contemporary moral and social thought? The concept of ‘evil’ has long been a key idea in moral discourse. Now, the contributors to this book make a start on ...
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What role should the idea of evil have in contemporary moral and social thought? The concept of ‘evil’ has long been a key idea in moral discourse. Now, the contributors to this book make a start on the important task of systematically exploring evil in the context of political theory. Intuitively, we know what evil means. Yet once we begin to think about its meaning, we quickly uncover competing definitions. In recent years, political theorists have generally set the concept aside as outdated or inappropriate. Yet the idea that some things are wrong beyond toleration still has significant currency. If ‘evil’ can capture that significance, it merits a closer look. The book presents a broad-ranging exploration of the idea of evil in contemporary theory; offers a philosophical analysis of the role of evil in ethics; and analyses the idea of evil in classic arguments.Less

Evil in Contemporary Political Theory

Bruce HaddockPeri Roberts

Published in print: 2011-10-31

What role should the idea of evil have in contemporary moral and social thought? The concept of ‘evil’ has long been a key idea in moral discourse. Now, the contributors to this book make a start on the important task of systematically exploring evil in the context of political theory. Intuitively, we know what evil means. Yet once we begin to think about its meaning, we quickly uncover competing definitions. In recent years, political theorists have generally set the concept aside as outdated or inappropriate. Yet the idea that some things are wrong beyond toleration still has significant currency. If ‘evil’ can capture that significance, it merits a closer look. The book presents a broad-ranging exploration of the idea of evil in contemporary theory; offers a philosophical analysis of the role of evil in ethics; and analyses the idea of evil in classic arguments.

Gillian Rose draws on idiosyncratic readings of thinkers such as Hegel, Adorno and Kierkegaard to underpin her philosophy, negotiating the ‘broken middle’ between particular and universal. While of ...
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Gillian Rose draws on idiosyncratic readings of thinkers such as Hegel, Adorno and Kierkegaard to underpin her philosophy, negotiating the ‘broken middle’ between particular and universal. While of the left, she is sharply critical of much left-wing thought, insisting that it shirks the work of coming to know and of taking political risk in pursuit of a ‘good enough justice’.In this book Kate Schick presents the core themes of Rose's work and locates her ideas within central debates in contemporary social theory (trauma, memory and mourning; exclusion and difference; tragedy and messianic utopia), engaging with the works of Benjamin, Honig, Žižek and Butler. She shows how Rose's speculative perspective brings a different gaze to bear on debates, eschewing well-worn liberal, critical theoretic and post-structural positions. Her difficult project advocates a rehabilitation of reason and critique with Hegelian recognition at its core.Less

Gillian Rose : A Good Enough Justice

Kate Schick

Published in print: 2012-08-30

Gillian Rose draws on idiosyncratic readings of thinkers such as Hegel, Adorno and Kierkegaard to underpin her philosophy, negotiating the ‘broken middle’ between particular and universal. While of the left, she is sharply critical of much left-wing thought, insisting that it shirks the work of coming to know and of taking political risk in pursuit of a ‘good enough justice’.In this book Kate Schick presents the core themes of Rose's work and locates her ideas within central debates in contemporary social theory (trauma, memory and mourning; exclusion and difference; tragedy and messianic utopia), engaging with the works of Benjamin, Honig, Žižek and Butler. She shows how Rose's speculative perspective brings a different gaze to bear on debates, eschewing well-worn liberal, critical theoretic and post-structural positions. Her difficult project advocates a rehabilitation of reason and critique with Hegelian recognition at its core.

This book explores Kant's cosmopolitanism and the normative requirements consistent with a Kantian-based cosmopolitan constitution. Topics such as cosmopolitan law, cosmopolitan right, the laws of ...
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This book explores Kant's cosmopolitanism and the normative requirements consistent with a Kantian-based cosmopolitan constitution. Topics such as cosmopolitan law, cosmopolitan right, the laws of hospitality, a Kantian federation of states, a cosmopolitan epistemology of culture and a possible normative basis for a Kantian form of global distributive justice are explored and defended. Contrary to many contemporary interpretations, the book considers Kant's cosmopolitan thought as a form of international constitutional jurisprudence that requires minimal legal demands versus the extreme condition of establishing a world state. Viewing Kant's cosmopolitan theory as a minimal form of global jurisprudence allows it to satisfy communitarian, realist and pluralist concerns without surrendering cosmopolitan principles of human worth and cosmopolitan law. In this regard, the book provides a comprehensive understanding of Kantian cosmopolitanism and what normative implications this vision has for contemporary international political theory.Less

Grounding Cosmopolitanism : From Kant to the Idea of a Cosmopolitan Constitution

Garrett Wallace Brown

Published in print: 2009-09-14

This book explores Kant's cosmopolitanism and the normative requirements consistent with a Kantian-based cosmopolitan constitution. Topics such as cosmopolitan law, cosmopolitan right, the laws of hospitality, a Kantian federation of states, a cosmopolitan epistemology of culture and a possible normative basis for a Kantian form of global distributive justice are explored and defended. Contrary to many contemporary interpretations, the book considers Kant's cosmopolitan thought as a form of international constitutional jurisprudence that requires minimal legal demands versus the extreme condition of establishing a world state. Viewing Kant's cosmopolitan theory as a minimal form of global jurisprudence allows it to satisfy communitarian, realist and pluralist concerns without surrendering cosmopolitan principles of human worth and cosmopolitan law. In this regard, the book provides a comprehensive understanding of Kantian cosmopolitanism and what normative implications this vision has for contemporary international political theory.

Hannah Arendt's work has been noted for its unorthodox and eclectic style. This book aims to show that her unusual approach in fact reflects a consistent and distinctive conception of, and way of ...
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Hannah Arendt's work has been noted for its unorthodox and eclectic style. This book aims to show that her unusual approach in fact reflects a consistent and distinctive conception of, and way of doing, political theory. This is established through close readings of her most influential works. In light of these readings, the book argues that Arendt's work is of continuing relevance in offering an important and challenging alternative to the more orthodox methods that are characteristic of modern political theory in both its analytical and post-analytical forms. The book discusses Arendt's key works — The Origins of Totalitarianism, The Human Condition and On Revolution — alongside her less-well-known and posthumously published writing; shows how Arendt framed problems with respect to specific concerns in the modern polity and democratic culture; and considers Arendt's views on totalitarianism, political theory, the concept of action, revolutions, political ethics and the role of the thinker.Less

Hannah Arendt and Political Theory : Challenging the Tradition

Steve Buckler

Published in print: 2011-05-16

Hannah Arendt's work has been noted for its unorthodox and eclectic style. This book aims to show that her unusual approach in fact reflects a consistent and distinctive conception of, and way of doing, political theory. This is established through close readings of her most influential works. In light of these readings, the book argues that Arendt's work is of continuing relevance in offering an important and challenging alternative to the more orthodox methods that are characteristic of modern political theory in both its analytical and post-analytical forms. The book discusses Arendt's key works — The Origins of Totalitarianism, The Human Condition and On Revolution — alongside her less-well-known and posthumously published writing; shows how Arendt framed problems with respect to specific concerns in the modern polity and democratic culture; and considers Arendt's views on totalitarianism, political theory, the concept of action, revolutions, political ethics and the role of the thinker.